Small Medium: Well Done

Small Medium #3

by Andrew Seiple

Here there be dragons! At least one of them, and he's gone and burned down the great City of Gnome. Chase and her merry band of miscreants must search the rubble for their friend Thomasi, before the mysterious Inquisition can put an end to him. The only problem is that the dragon is still around. Worse yet, some old familiar faces are back, and Chase must contend with the powerful and amoral players once more. She'll need every bit of skill and wit to keep alive and succeed with her mission! Oh yeah, and evidently the world's ending. That might need looking at too. She'll get right on it as soon as everything's not on fire. The stunning conclusion to the litrpg Small Medium Trilogy!

Genres: Fantasy

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 3, 2019

Reviews

[Soo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mini-Review:

4.5 Stars for Narration by Tim Gerard Reynolds
4 Stars for Overall Plot Elements for World
4 Stars for Game Mechanics & Interesting Use of Jobs/Skills/Abilities
3 Stars for Chase
4 Stars for Side Characters

I loved the side characters, the clever use of jobs/skills/abilities and the touches of info that added to the world. I've been trying to figure out why I was not drawn into the story like Stuff & Nonsense. It's because Chase doesn't come across as a complete character. By the end of the trilogy, I have a basic idea of who Chase is as a person but it's only a bit more than what was established in book one.

My impulse is to rate the book 3 stars because I didn't love the whole thing. I liked pieces of it and where the over arcing plot is going. I didn't care that much about the main plot points of this trilogy. I'm raising the rating to 4 because I enjoyed the story in small batches. The setting, game mechanics & side characters are a good chunk of the story and that was well done.

[Narilka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time there was a halven who pursued her freedom, regardless of the risks, and paid many prices to gain the life of adventure she wanted. Having uncovered dark secrets, secrets that could shake the world if they got out, Chase and her friends finds themselves being hunted by those who want those secrets kept buried. Taking matters into her own hands, Chase and friends head off to the City of Gnome searching to find Tomasi before the Inquisition does. One thing Chase doesn't know - here there be dragons.

Well Done is the final book in the Small Medium trilogy by Andrew Seiple. What started out as a fun, litRPG adventure has turned unexpectedly deep. Sure, it still has a light, funny tone with plenty of nods to pop culture, classic online gaming and oracle shenanigans. With the reveals we get the story also turns into an interesting exploration of sentience. There is definitely more going on than meets the eye in Generica.

The thing I'd been waiting for finally happened. Part of this book has a direct tie back to the original Threadbare trilogy. It was great seeing old friends again.

While this provides decent closure to Chase's story, it is definitely not the end. There are plenty of hints into where the second half of Threadbare's story could go next. I now have more questions that need answers given some of the things revealed in Small Medium. Before heading to the final trilogy, I'm going to give the prequel books a try. They seem to be an origin story of sorts for the world these characters live in.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds. Reynolds' narration is a joy to listen to.

[Timelord Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This trilogy got off to a rocky start, but I enjoyed it tremendously, in the end... the 2nd book was the highlight, with the introduction of a number of side characters, including the "Muscle Wizaard"... I really enjoy Seiple's use of kayfabe and other wrestling tropes in his books... I still enjoyed this 3rd book, and am happy to see there seems to be plans for a 4th trilogy (after the prequel Blasphemy Online trilogy) that will tie everything together... can't wait to see more direct interactions between Chase & Threadbare & other characters...

[Chris Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting fallout to the last book. Not a lot new on the reality or lack there of of the world. Other than the introduction of a Spam Bot, YouBuyGold. This puts forward a possibility of a SOMA like situation, where the players are AI copies of the player and not the player them selves. I've never understood the dread people express over this idea. Surely it's the best case scenario. The physical you isn't actually trapped in the game, and they can do all the important things in the real world and get on with their life. It does mean you can't escape, but it also means you now can get on with your life without having to worry about real world issues.

I did like the nod to FF6 with the suplex, though, an entire train of the dead is still more impressive than a MissingNo dragon. ;)

[James Madere · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting end to a great trilogy!

We get to have a good sense of closure with this installment in the Small Medium series, and get to see a few old friends to boot.

Once again, Chase Berrymore tries her Halven hardest to make it out of a difficult situation alive. She demonstrates her quick thinking and creative problem-solving in full force here, substituting wit for might in her own way.

I chewed through this story with a hunger reserved only for the kind of book that leaves me wanting more every time I put it down. Be warned! You might want to make sure you got a good block of time to set aside for this book, otherwise you might find yourself furiously reading into the wee hours of the night to sprint to the finish.

While this story does wrap up the small medium series with a satisfying conclusion, the series is left with many good hooks to lead into another book. Fans of the Threadbare series will be left agog with some of the revelations in this book, and I'd say those books are practically mandatory reading to fully understand the implications of the plot.

I loved this conclusion, and am looking forward to the next entrant in the Threadbare universe.

[astaliegurec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Seiple really surprised me by releasing this final novel, "Small Medium, Book 3: Well Done" of his "Small Medium" trilogy in 2019. Heck, his speed of publication for all three books is surprising. Unless I'm misreading things, he published the first book in December 2018, the second book back in February 2019, and this one in June 2019. Three really well done, interesting, well-paced and characterized novels in about 6 months. Normally, authors spend three or more years publishing a trilogy. So, this is great. Especially as it fills out more of his "Threadbare" universe and, from the "teasers" in the last chapter, indicates there's plenty more to come. Anyway, no complaints about this book and I'm rating it at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5. If you've read the previous books, you'll want this one, too.

[Carewolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still very enjoyable, though the quality is dropping. 3.5/5

There was some serious issues with continuity and logic in this book, where the writer retconned things that just happened and ignoring how it didn't fit the world rules. Fortunately it wasn't much and the rest was still fun and exciting. In particular the whole scene with one playa leaving the group but staying in the party, the lack of internal dialog acknowledging the issue, and the fact nobody noticed he was still in the party, including the other playa, since they should both have been in it for days after he left. And then there was forced ignorance of obvious stuff, and random and constantly changing attitudes of foes. Seriously why not tell people the playas might no longer be playas, or the playas that people as a real as they are now?

[A.B. Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great end to a good trilogy

Given the way the book ended, there are more adventures left in the Game. Not as punny as the Threadbare series, but still lots of chuckles at the MMO references, LOTR, Harry Potter, WWE and many more.
It was good to have a series where wits, charm and tactics were more important than brute force. Grifters and Griefers, players and bots, parties and raids, quests and of course the all important levels and jobs.
Behind it though was some introspection about the personality of gamers and the types who became obsessed, their attitudes to the helpless, the hopeless and the way they acted when they weren’t affected by the consequence of their actions and how much their perspective changed when it did.

[Andy Grzywacz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic read!

Fantastic characters and great storytelling make this a must read for fans of the litRPG genre. The effortless balance of a genuinely good narrative with the numeric elements of litRPG is a trait that's often difficult to come by in this genre, and Andrew Seiple seems to have a master's touch when crafting that balance. The small medium series pays respectful homage to so many elements of tabletop and video gaming from my childhood. My favorite part of this series is the lovable cast of rogues and their circus.

[Vincent Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final wrap-up of the trilogy.

I am not going to say much. Like many trilogies, you can't really appreciate this book if you haven't read the previous, and if you've read them, you will know what to expect. The various actions started in the previous books come to an end, and we learn more about Generica. It all flows down naturally, with no contradictions, the way you'd want it.

And of course, the way is paved for the two trilogies to meet, since fans will want that.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whats more to say other than a good read which has the main protagonist Chase once again having to save everyone while turning some enemies into allies and gaining levels along the way. While I enjoyed reading Small Medium: Well Done I felt the final confrontation with the Inquisitions leader a little anti climatic however saying that it doesn't detract from the overall novel as it sets up a bigger threat which I hope pays off in An End to All Tails.

[Ian Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The small medium gets it done well

Wow. What a non stop exciting adventure. I felt like I was playing in a table top game with an expert story teller running things. This one finishes up this adventure with plenty of story hooks for another series. I definitely recommend this series and threadbare first of course.

[Dion Crump · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great things come in 3s

A fantastic third book to tie up what I thought would be a shameless following on Threadbare. It has been a pleasant surprise to find that not only does this arc stand on its own legs but does an amazing job of telling us about this world of numbers and levels. I look forward to the next arc of this wide world

[Jennifer Linsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Seiple delivers another marvelously charming work of LitRPG goodness. It nicely ties up the present story arc, while making it clear there will be more in this world, and quite possibly with these particular characters. I look forward to the next volume with great and joyous anticipation.

P.S. Mr. Seiple (if you happen to read this) you need a proofreader. I volunteer.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Power up!

I love that the series ends the way it does but at the same time doesn’t end! The characters have grown so much in their own way and the jobs really shine through in their own way. A little predictable at times but I suppose in some ways that was the point leading to an inevitable idea in the world itself. I am really looking forward to where the world goes from here and the Uber hidden undercurrent within the series world!

[Teki Pawsome · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the whole Small Medium series <3 Great addition to Threadbear Universe. For some reason i wasn't into this series the first time around, i was annoyed by the main character.But the second time i tried to read it - i was hooked and came to like Chase very much. The Series is less cute and funny, but smarter than Threadbear series.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd and 3rd books I tried out Audible, fantastic narrator! Still prefer reading, but this was a great experience. The books are awesome, can't recommend them enough, especially to nerds who've played any type of rpg game.

[Wongi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in an entertaining series.

[Travis Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series really finished strong. I have to assume the Threadbare verse continues and I can't wait until it does! 👍🏽👍🏽

[Wetdryvac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strangely compelling.

[Shaun P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This trilogy did a great job at world building.

[Nath · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this trilogy. Not as much as Threadbear, and to be fair I doubt I'd have liked it so much had it not been for the connection to that world, but It was a fun adventure overall.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good finish with some huge revelations for the characters--plus a wonderful promise in the epilogue about the original series and this one coming together.

[John Aspler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't spent time in the Threadbareverse in almost 2 years. Book 2 of the Small Medium series just got a bit too convoluted, and while I'd meant to finish the trilogy over the last year, I only recently felt the pull back to this series. I'm so glad I returned - I had forgotten how much I loved the writing, the characters, the world, and the LitRPG mechanics. Sure, this book remained a bit convoluted, including what feel like major retcons in the form of interesting twists that don't totally work for me unless I squint a bit. But I just had so much fun with Chase, in Gnome, and being back in this world. Truly, one of the best LitRPGs out there. I really appreciate that the author actually tells a coherent novel-sized (or trilogy-sized) story, instead of the typical forever serialization. It doesn't overstay its welcome.

[Dave Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo!
this is great all the way through. if you liked big trouble & at large you will not be disappointed.